Landcare Movement - Germany

= "regional non-governmental associations link nature conservation groups with local farmers and local communities".

Contextual Quote

""Did you know that 80% of the Bavarian landscape is managed by a voluntary team of farmers, conservationists and policy makers?"

- Bernd Blumlein of DVL – the German Land Care Association [1]

Description

Oliver Moore:

"Landcare started in Australia, and is thriving in Germany – especially in some of the federated states such as Bavaria.

Bernd Blumlein of DVL (the German Land Care Association) spoke about the 170 plus Landcare Associations (LCA) in Germany. These regional non-governmental associations link nature conservation groups with local farmers and local communities. Turnover is E20m a year, while 10,000 farmers, 2000 local authorities and 1200 NGOs are involved.

According to Blumlein, it started as a bridging exercise between conservationists and farmers while also maintaining “cultural landscapes together with land users and municipalities and at the same time guarantee farmers an income”.

DVL adds: “LCAs develop projects for specific landscape types including scientific measures, financial calculations and the implementation of agri-environment schemes. They apply for available funds on the state-level and supervise the implementation of activities, mostly done by local farmers, as well as monitor the project outcome.”

LCAs are voluntary, and have parity between farmers, conservationists and local authorities. Farmers receive an extra payment, while the Federal States in Germany make the payments (more so than even the EU/Pillar 2). This reduces bureaucracy, which in any case is conducted in large part by the LCA/DVL.

In some federal states, such as Bavaria, it is particularly impactful. There, there are 62 LCAs, covering more than 80% of Bavaria’s surface area. 2/3 of the state-supported landscape conservation measures are conducted via LCAs, which are performance-orientated.

The approach bears some resemblance to the regionally focused EIPs such as the BRIDE (Biodiversity Regeneration in a Dairying Environment) initiative in north east Cork." (http://www.arc2020.eu/landcare-germany-bringing-farmers-conservationists-and-policymakers-together/)